the six enneads-第186章
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e is still a real existence of movement。 But movement is not on a par with number： it is because movement is an entity that unity can be observed upon it。 Besides； the kind of real existence thus implied annuls the reality of number； making it no more than an attribute； but that cannot be since an attribute must exist before it can be attributed； it may be inseparable from the subject but still must in itself be something； some entity as whiteness is； to be a predicate it must be that which is to be predicated。 Thus if unity is observed in every subject； and 〃one man〃 says more than 〃man's oneness being different from the manness and common to all things… then this oneness must be something prior to man and to all the rest： only so can the unity come to apply to each and to all： it must therefore be prior also to even movement； prior to Being； since without unity these could not be each one thing： of course what is here meant is not the unity postulated as transcending Being but the unity predicable of the Ideas which constitute each several thing。 So too there is a decad prior to the subject in which we affirm it； this prior would be the decad absolute； for certainly the thing in which the decad is observed is not that absolute。 Is this unity； then； connate and coexistent to the Beings？ Suppose it coexistent merely as an accidental； like health in man； it still must exist of itself； suppose it present as an element in a compound； there must first exist unity and the unity absolute that can thus enter into composition； moreover if it were compounded with an object brought into being by its agency it would make that object only spuriously a unity； its entry would produce a duality。 But what of the decad？ Where lies the need of decad to a thing which； by totalling to that power； is decad already？ The need may be like that of Form to Matter； ten and decad may exist by its virtue； and； once more； the decad must previously exist of its own existence； decad unattached。 6。 Granted； then； that there exist； apart from things； a unity absolute and a decad absolute in other words； that the Intellectual beings； together with their characteristic essence have also their order； Henads； Dyads； Triads； what is the nature of these numerical entities and how does it come into being？ We cannot but think that some reason accounts for their origin。 As a beginning； what is the origin of the Ideas in general？ It is not that the thinking principle thought of each Idea and by that act of thought procured their several existences； not because Justice and Movement were thus thought did they come to be； that would imply that while the thought is later than the thing… the concept of Justice must be later than Justice itself… yet the thought precedes what； as founded on the thinking； owes its existence to it。 Besides； if justice is only a certain definite thought we have the absurdity that Justice is nothing more than a definition of Justice。 Thinking of Justice or Movement is but grasping their nature； this would mean grasping the non…existent； an impossibility。 We may be reminded that in immaterial objects the knowledge is identical with the thing； but we must not misapply that statement； it does not say that the knowledge is the thing known； or that the reason surveying the thing is the thing； but that the immaterial thing； being an Intellectual object is also a thought； this does not imply a definition or conception of the object； the thing itself； as belonging to the Intellectual； can be nothing else than Intellect or knowledge。 This is not a case of knowledge self…directed； it is that the thing in the Intellectual transmutes the knowledge； which is not fixed like the knowledge of material things； in other words it makes it true knowledge； that is to say no image of the thing but the thing directly。 Thus it is not the conception of movement that brings movement to be； movement absolute produces that conception； it produces itself as at once movement and the concept of movement； for movement as it exists There； bound up with Being； is a concept。 It is movement absolute because it is the first movement… there can be none till this exist… and it is the authentic Movement since it is not accidental to something else but is the activity of actual Being in motion。 Thus it is a real existent； though the notion of Being is different。 Justice therefore is not the thought of Justice but； as we may put it； a state of the Intellectual…Principle； or rather an activity of it… an appearance so lovely that neither evening nor dawn is so fair； nor anything else in all the realm of sense； an Intellectual manifestation self…rising； self…seen； or； rather； self…being。 7。 It is inevitably necessary to think of all as contained within one nature； one nature must hold and encompass all； there cannot be as in the realm of sense thing apart from thing； here a sun and elsewhere something else； all must be mutually present within a unity。 This is the very nature of the Intellectual…Principle as we may know from soul which reproduces it and from what we call Nature under which and by which the things of process are brought into their disjointed being while that Nature itself remains indissolubly one。 But within the unity There； the several entities have each its own distinct existence； the all…embracing Intellect sees what is in it； what is within Being； it need not look out upon them since it contains them； need not separate them since they stand for ever distinct within it。 Against doubters we cite the fact of participation； the greatness and beauty of the Intellectual…Principle we know by the soul's longing towards it； the longing of the rest towards soul is set up by its likeness to its higher and to the possibility open to them of attaining resemblance through it。 It is surely inconceivable that any living thing be beautiful failing a Life…Absolute of a wonderful； an ineffable； beauty： this must be the Collective Life； made up of all living things； or embracing all； forming a unity coextensive with all； as our universe is a unity embracing all the visible。 8。 As then there is a Life…Form primal… which therefore is the Life…Form Absolute… and there is Intellectual…Principle or Being； Authentic Being； these； we affirm； contain all living things and all Number； and Absolute Justice and Beauty and all of that order； for we ascribe an existence of their own to Absolute Man； Absolute Number； Absolute Justice。 It remains to discover； in so far as such knowledge is possible； how these distinct entities come to be and what is the manner of their being。 At the outset we must lay aside all sense…perception； by Intellectual…Principle we know Intellectual…Principle。 We reflect within ourselves there is life； there is intellect； not in extension but as power without magnitude； issue of Authentic Being which is power self…existing； no vacuity but a thing most living and intellective… nothing more living； more intelligent； more real… and producing its effect by contact and in the ratio of the contact； closely to the close； more remotely to the remote。 If Being is to be sought； then most be sought is Being at its intensest； so too the intensest of Intellect if the Intellectual act has worth； and so； too； of Life。 First； then； we take Being as first in order； then Intellectual…Principle； then the Living…Form considered as containing all things： Intellectual…Principle； as the Act of Real Being； is a second。 Thus it is clear that Number cannot be dependent upon the Living…Form since unity and duality existed before that； nor does it rise in the Intellectual…Principle since before that there existed Real Being which is both one and numerous。 9。 It remains then to consider whether Being by its distinction produced Number or Number produced that distinction。 It is certain that either Number was the cause of Being； movement； rest； identity and difference； or these the cause of Number。 The first question is whether Number can exist in and of itself or is dependent upon things… Two being something observed in two things； Three in three； and so of the arithmetical One； for if this could exist apart from numbered objects it could exist als
